Get to Know the Bow River

“Get to Know the Bow River” is a lavishly illustrated booklet that provides readers with a general overview and some intriguing details about the Bow River and Calgary’s special relationship with it. Written by local watershed experts and volunteers with a passion for river conservation and recreation, the 20-page booklet contains a wealth of information and inspiration for Calgarians and naturalists everywhere. Divided into 12 sections, topics include the Bow River’s geological history, Calgary’s urban footprint on the landscape and how we manage it, features of dynamic fluvial and alluvial ecosystems, risks and benefits of flooding, aspects of aquatic ecology and fisheries, and water management opportunities for communities and individuals to help reduce the impacts of our own activities and lifestyles. This booklet is meant to inform, engage and motivate people to see and appreciate the Bow River through a new lens – a fish-eye lens – because sometimes “we forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one” (Jacques Cousteau).

100 Year Goals and Targets

Economic well-being

Target 39

By 2036, alternative ways to measure economic well-being are commonly used to support sustainability principles in decision-making.

Air

Target 71

By 2036, Calgary’s ecological decreases to below the 2001 Canadian average of 7.25 hectares per capita.

Target 77

By 2036, Calgary’s ecological footprint decreases to below the 2001 Canadian average of 7.25 hectares per capita.

By 2036, Calgary’s ecological footprint decreases to below the 2001 Canadian average of 7.25 hectares per capita.

Aesthetic enjoyment

Target 85

By 2036, 90 per cent of citizens report that Calgary is a beautiful city.

Target 86

By 2036, 95 per cent of Calgarians report that they have a range of opportunities for the aesthetic enjoyment of nature, arts and culture.

Target 90

By 2036, all Calgarians live in a safe and clean natural environment, as measured by the quality of its air, water, soil and food sources, plus by the lack of exposure to toxic waste.

Target 108

By 2036, 100 per cent of Calgarians report that they can access a range of high-quality recreational experiences, regardless of gender, socio-economic status, age, ability, religion, race, sexual orientation or heritage.

Target 114

By 2010, at least 75 per cent of Calgarians report that they volunteer for the benefit of others who are outside their circles of family and friends.